OLD SNOWASS —The sale of the Windstar property for $8.5 million in April sparked resentment that shows no signs of fading among scores of people who shared John Denver’s vision of environmental education and activism.
Conspiracy theories about the sale have been launched with the frequency of Denver’s pop hits in the 1970s on Facebook sites such as “Save the Windstar Foundation” and “Friends of John Denver.”
The more radical critics contend that the sale violated binding requirements that the Rocky Mountain Institute and the Windstar Land Conservancy had to care for the 957-acre rural parcel in Old Snowmass.
Others contend that the sale might not have been illegal but it was part of a well-orchestrated series of events that betray the spirit of what Denver envisioned.
Denver’s brother, Ron Deutschendorf Sr., said the sale is viewed suspiciously by some because it was part of a one-two punch that followed the surprise dissolution of the Windstar Foundation in October.
As chairman of the board of trustees, Deutschendorf was on the losing end of a board vote to dissolve the foundation. Some key players in that decision also hold board positions on the Windstar Land Conservancy, which owned a half interest in the Windstar property along with the Rocky Mountain Institute.
